In a typical vehicle, two or more side window panels are provided adjacent the driver and passenger which may be raised and lowered usually by sliding movement via hand operated or electrical mechanisms. The window panel assemblies are mounted in tracks or channels and are generally moved vertically. It is common to provide a metal bracket along the bottom edge of the window which allows for the attachment of a scissor-like linkage, gear driven regulator mechanism, tape or cable drive system all of which are generally known as window regulator mechanisms to move the window when desired. The prior known brackets have normally been rigidly attached to the sheet glass forming the window in various ways to provide a channel for receipt of rollers or other connections to the mechanisms.
Various drawbacks have been encountered in prior known window panel assemblies incorporating such brackets. First, metal brackets are expensive to manufacture and/or expensive to attach to the glass window panel without breakage. Generally, the metal brackets required additional labor and/or processing steps. In some cases, the metal brackets loosened after attachment or after installation in the vehicle causing malfunction of the window regulator mechanism and trapping the window either in an open or partially open position.
Secondly, the prior known metal brackets are difficult to consistently manufacture in closely fitted tolerances. Hence, the fit of the window regulator roller or other mechanism portion to the brackets varied within wide ranges. In some cases, the tolerance was sufficiently large to cause vibration or rattles between the regulator mechanism connection and the sheet creating annoyance and inconvenience to the vehicle owner.
Thirdly, the prior known metal brackets were often difficult to adapt to the position requirements of the window regulator rollers and other mechanism portions. The brackets often required sharp bends in the metal to locate the channel or other bracket portions appropriately for connection to the roller mechanisms. In addition, it was often necessary to preassemble portions of the regulator mechanism followed by further assembly steps after insertion in the bracket to enclose the rollers properly in position. Alternately, many roller assemblies had to be completely assembled within the metal brackets for proper installation.
All of the above problems added to the inconvenience and expense of providing proper mounting for window regulator mechanisms on sheet glass and other windows and panels in vehicles. The present invention was devised as a solution for these and other problems by providing a panel assembly including an attachment member molded directly on the glass or other sheet material of the sheet thereby eliminating the need for separate metal brackets and the above attendant problems. Moreover, the present invention provides a means for coupling the molded attachment member to existing window regulator mechanisms without significant modification.